The present invention relates to a deterrent apparatus, and more particularly, to an apparatus for deterring flying animals and a method for making the same.
Many inventions have been made to deter birds from landing and/or roosting on buildings or other structures. Some such inventions feature arrays of surfaces that either create optical effects to prevent birds from landing and/or roosting, or physically interfere with birds landing and/or roosting. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,008 discloses a series of closely spaced, upwardly extending structures surmounted with pyramids which create a prism effect to optically frighten birds.
The inventions that use physical interference to interfere with birds landing and/or roosting fall into two classes. The first class includes those inventions that have relatively large, visible, features that disrupt a bird""s attempts to land and/or roost. The second class includes those inventions that include wire or other relatively invisible features that either disrupt a bird""s attempts to land and/or roost or cooperatively create a visual effect that disrupts a bird""s attempts to land and/or roost.
Inventions in the first class include that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,359,844, which shows a triangular structure that is fixed to a crossbar on an electrical power pole to prevents birds from landing and accidentally electrocuting themselves by touching adjacent power lines supported by the crossbar. Also in the first class are the inventions disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,997,721 and 5,691,032, which both feature fingers cut from a continuous base strip, the fingers then being bent upwardly from the base strip, the ends of the fingers having one or more sharp projections to deter birds. U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,335 discloses an array of flexible plastic fingers that can be attached to a wires or cable-like structure such that the fingers will bend downward should a bird attempt to land on the fingers, thereby discouraging the bird from landing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,444 discloses a structure intended for placement on a sill, the structure including at least one prong holder attached to a top member that is attached to a base member, each of the top members having pointed prongs projecting therefrom. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,585 shows a spring-loaded cable having a plurality of rotatable rings that make it difficult for a bird to land stably.
Inventions in the second class include the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,988, which shows a pair of support brackets which allow a plurality of monofilament wires to be secured therebetween, thereby discouraging birds from landing between the support brackets. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,619 shows a helix of wire attached to an elongate strip by means of flaps punched in the strip, the flaps being periodically bent back over the wire helix to hold it in place. U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,099 discloses a plurality of comb-like members that are supported above an upwardly-facing horizontal surface such that a line having knots near its ends can be passed between adjacent teeth of the comb-like structures and from one comb-like member to another, with the knots holding the line in place. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,338 shows a vertically-oriented flange attached to a horizontal base for attachment to a horizontal surface, the flange including a number of perforations and having a plurality of projecting wires attached thereto, the projecting wires being aligned in a coplanar fashion and each of the projecting wires being too weak to support a bird attempting to land. U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,552 discloses a preventative device that includes a base to which spikes are force fitted, the spikes being made from wire and having a flattened protuberance near one end, the flattened portion fitting into circular canals in the base, the protuberance being larger than the diameter of the circular canals. U.S. Pat. No. 5,873,324 discloses an electrically insulative protector adapted for placement over a power wire, the protector having arms extending in opposite directions away from a connecting structure, each of the arms having apertures adapted to allow attachment of wires of different dimensions. U.S. Pat. No. D357,771 discloses a wire array for placement over a wire or cable on which birds prefer to alight, the wire array having upwardly-projecting tipped wires, the tipped wires extending below the point where the wire array is placed on the wire or cable.
Each of the inventions disclosed in the above-mentioned patents is complicated to build or repair. Furthermore, it is generally acknowledged that wires are most effective in deterring flying animals from alighting and roosting. Therefore, it is desirable to have a bird deterrent structure that is easy to build and repair.
According to one aspect, the invention is an apparatus for deterring flying animals. The apparatus includes a base plate and a first piece of wire. There is at least one bendable tang formed in the base plate. The first piece of wire has first and second segments connected together. The first segment is generally pointing upwardly and the second segment is generally horizontal. The second segment is placed on the base plate and under the bendable tang, which is bent over the second segment of the first piece of wire so that the first piece of wire is removably attached to the base plate.
According to a second aspect, the invention is a method for making an apparatus for deterring flying animals. The method includes the steps of a) forming a base plate, and b) forming at least one bendable tang in the base plate. The inventive method further includes the steps of c) forming a first piece of wire, and d) bending the first piece of wire so that it has its first and second segments connected together. The first and second segments are straight but at an angle relative to one another.
The method further includes the steps of e) placing the first piece of wire on the base plate so that the first segment is generally pointing upwardly and the second segment is generally horizontal and placed on the base plate and under the bendable tang, and f) bending the bendable tang over the second segment of the first piece of wire so that the first piece of wire is removably attached to the base plate.
According to a third aspect, the invention is an apparatus for making an apparatus for deterring flying animals. The apparatus includes means for forming a base plate, means for forming at least one bendable tang in the base plate. The apparatus further includes means for forming a first piece of wire, and means for bending the first piece of wire so that it has first and second segments connected together. The first and second segments are straight but at an angle relative to one another.
The apparatus further includes means for placing the first piece of wire on the base plate so that the first segment is generally pointing upwardly and the second segment is generally horizontal and the second segment is placed on the base plate and under the bendable tang, and means for bending the bendable tang over the second segment of the first piece of wire so that the first piece off wire is removably attached to the base plate.